BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #6 [Review]

I did try my best not to spoil the cliff-hanger ending of Batgirl And The Birds Of Prey #5 in my review. Imagine my surprise when it was given away on the finished regular cover of Issue #6!

To that end, I’m foregoing my usual format – where I give a quick summary of the book – for this review. There’s no way to discuss the action of this issue or even the basic story without addressing some fairly major spoilers for the story so far and some major ramifications for the characters involved in the future.

Without going into detail, Batgirl And The Birds of Prey #6 proved a fitting capstone to a wonderful story that has restored three of DC Comics’ most underrated heroines to their former glory. This book is the reason I declared Julie and Shawna Benson the best comic writers of 2016. The artwork is equally excellent and this series should be on the pull list of everyone who enjoys quality comics and capable heroines. This is the best The Birds have been since days of Gail Simone and Nicola Scott.

[SPOILERS AWAIT IN THE IMAGE BELOW AND BEYOND! ]

Julie and Shawna Benson are to be commended for having pulled off a truly surprising twist ending. The revelation that the crime-boss responsible for backing the criminal Oracle was Huntress’ mother truly stunned me, turning what might have been an ordinary story into a work of classical drama. The fact that both mother and daughter became mirrors of each other in an effort to avenge the other’s death makes this all the more Shakespearean.

Rogue Antonio brings this tale to life in epic fashion. Antonio is a great visual storyteller, as well as a fantastic fight choreographer. My favorite aspect of the artwork, however, is Antonio’s fantastic expressions and the expressions of the characters in the close-ups. Allen Passalaqua’s colors are perfectly applied, lending a bit of atypically bold brightness to the usually shadowy setting of Gotham City.

The best part about this book is I have no idea what to expect next month. The issue’s ending leaves plenty of room open for several directions and my mind is racing considering the possibilities. To me, that is the sign of a great story, regardless of the medium – it provides pleasure as you read it and as you consider what comes next. In that regard, Batgirl And The Birds Of Prey is a great story.

About Matt Morrison

Matt "Starman" Morrison is The Grand Exalted High Macha of Raspur - a non-existent but real-sounding country. He has been writing about comics since before the word "blogging" was coined. He enjoys acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.